At the time that the 1994 MLB season was scuttled by a strike, the Texas Rangers were leading the American League West with a record that was 10 games under .500.
Fast-forward 32 years, and the Rangers are at .500 — 78-78 — yet still lead the AL West, which now has five teams (in 1994 the division had four).
Regardless, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred would prefer his proposed 16-team leagues to have four 4-team divisions — and not the two 8-team divisions that would prevent this fiasco from ever happening again.
Based on Nashville and Salt Lake City as favorites to get the two new teams, the most plausible new alignment is the following:
American League East — Baltimore, Boston, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, Detroit, N.Y. Yankees, Tampa Bay, Toronto
American League West — Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas A's, L.A. Angels, Minnesota, Salt Lake City*, Seattle, Texas
National League East — Atlanta, Cincinnati, Miami, Nashville*, N.Y. Mets, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington
National League West — Arizona, Chicago Cubs, Colorado, L.A. Dodgers, Milwaukee, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco
*Denotes expansion team
And neither the regular-season schedule nor the playoff format would present any problem at all:
Each team plays its seven division rivals 12 times (7 X 12 = 84), each of the eight teams in the other division of the same league six times (8 X 6 = 48), and all eight teams from one of the two divisions in the other league three times (8 X 3 = 24), the divisional assignments going back and forth every year so that interleague opponents are guaranteed at least one three-game series every other year.
The remaining six games can be apportioned on a position basis according to the previous season's standings, as follows:
First-place teams play three games against the first-place team and three games against the second-place team.
Second-place teams play three games against the first-place team and three games against the third-place team.
Third-place teams play three games against the second-place team and three games against the fourth-place team.
Fourth-place teams play three games against the third-place team and three games against the fifth-place team.
Fifth-place teams play three games against the fourth-place team and three games against the sixth-place team.
Sixth-place teams play three games against the fifth-place team and three games against the seventh-place team.
Seventh-place teams play three-games against the sixth-place team and three games against the eighth-place team.
Eighth-place teams play three games against the seventh-place team and three games against the eighth-place team.
For the playoffs, the top three teams from each division get in, with the first-place teams earning a first-round bye and a best-of-three First Round Series consisting of the second-place team hosting the third-place team in Game 1 and Game 3 (if necessary) and the third-place team hosting Game 2.
The winners of the First-Round Series advance to the Division Series, with the first-place teams hosting Games 1, 2 and (if necessary) Game 5, and the winners of the First-Round Series hosting Game 3 and (if necessary) Game 4.
The winners of the Division Series advance to the League Championship Series, where the higher division finisher (or the team with the better regular-season record if both teams finished in the same position in their respective divisions) hosting Games 1 and 2, and (if necessary) Games 5 and 7, and the other team hosting Games 3 and 4 and (if necessary) Game 6.
And in order to resurrect the concept of the "first division" in baseball, teams finishing fourth in their division should once again receive shares in the postseason Player's Pool, which can henceforth be divided:
33% to the winner of the World Series;
22% to the loser of the World Series;
11% each to the losers of the League Championship Series:
3.75% each to the losers of the Division Series;
1.5% each to the losers of the First Round Series; and
0.5% each to the teams finishing fourth in their division.
And note that no team switches leagues in this proposal — which overall is at least "neo-purist" in a sport that values "purists" above all others.
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